EDUCATION Minister David Coltart yesterday urged Zimbabweans to take part in the voter registration exercise which starts next week to enable them to cast their ballots in what he predicts will be a tightly contested election. Staff Reporter
In a message posted on his Facebook page, Coltart, who is secretary for legal affairs in the MDC formation led by Welshman Ncube, said there was need to take the exercise seriously.
The 30-day mandatory voter exercise follows the signing into law of the Constitution last week.
The programme comes hard on the heels of a chaotic mobile voter registration exercise that saw thousands of potential voters fail to register.
He said Cabinet recently agreed that each ward would be visited by a voter registration exercise team and voters’ rolls will also be made available at schools throughout the country.
“I urge all Zimbabweans to take this very seriously and to do all in their power to get registered to vote. It is critical that all those who are entitled to vote check to see whether they are on the voters’ roll and that all who are not on the voters’ roll, and who are entitled to be on it, make the effort to get registered,” said Coltart.
“I am often amazed by Zimbabweans who complain bitterly about what is going on in the country, but who cannot be bothered to get registered to vote. Whilst I appreciate that often a variety of obstacles are thrown up in the path of those who want to get registered and that it is time-consuming, that in my view is no excuse. “We face a critically important election later on this year which could go down to the wire. Every single vote counts. Our entire future depends on the outcome of that election.”
He urged churches, clubs and associations to mobilise their members to take part in the exercise.
